love & cinders
by strawberypocky
Summary: AU. Ichijouji Ken is a new student at Misaya Academy, and it's Tachikawa's duty to show him around! But Ken doesn't want to make any friends for confidential reasons...can Mimi change his mind...and his heart?


**/love & cinders  
**

act 001

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It was a snow-white day in Japan, the elusive flakes cascading from the sky, causing a strawberry-blonde to giggle with delight as she peered outside her window.

"Ja matta, Mama!" She exclaimed before tumbling out the front door and shrieking: "Snow, snow snow! I love snow!" She rubbed her freezing hands together and exhaled, watching puffs of white smoke escape from her numb lips.

:Mimi Tachikawa, an energetic fifteen year old attending Misaya Academy:

The slender girl continued her walk to school, enjoying the noise her knee-high boots made when it squished the snow beneath her. February had always been her favorite month, despite the bitter cold relentlessly nipping her sensitive skin.

"Oy, Tachikawa-san!" A familiar voice called from behind. Heavy footsteps quickened and a boy with chin-length blue hair appeared at her side, panting.

"Ohayou, Jyou!" She greeted, oblivious that her friend's cheeks were tinted crimson.

The boy pushed his frameless glasses up the bridge of his nose and grinned recklessly. "G-good morning."

:Jyou Kido, a paranoid seventeen year old in his last year of high school; also attending Misaya Academy. His dream is to be a doctor:

"I get to show the new student around today," Mimi's smiled happily; always delighted to meet someone new.

"Boy or girl?" Jyou's eyes narrowed in wariness and slight envy. Somehow he felt it was his duty to look after her, and a part of him desired to keep her for himself.

"Boy!"

"Oh," He merely replied, jealousy searing from his sour expression. "That's nice."

"Mmm…I can't wait!"

***

"Have a good day, Ken!"

"You too, Okaa-san."

A boy with exotic violet eyes stepped out of his mother's car and watched her drive off, waving a feeble hand in goodbye. He spun his frail body around and surveyed the large academy.

"…" He sighed resignedly before walking into his new school.

***

"Ichijouji, Ken? Please wait a moment." The school secretary gestured to one of seats in the room as she took the transcript papers from the boy's hand.

:Ken Ichijouji, fourteen year old boy genius, just transferred from Tomachi Elite Academy, due to personal reasons:

Ken obeyed and allowed himself to comfortably slump in the office's cushiony chairs. 'So tired…' he mused to himself and shut his eyes for a few moments rest.

Bam!

The door swung open and a pretty girl with a wide grin hopped in, leaping eagerly while repeating breathlessly, "Where is he? Where is he?"

The secretary rolled her eyes and aimed a finger at Ken, who was staring at Mimi inquiringly.

Mimi's eyes perked up in wonder once she glanced at him, but her smile broadened, flashing all her perfect white teeth. "You there!" She blurted out loud.

Ken pointed to himself. "M-me?" he mumbled meekly.

She nodded impatiently. "Yes, you. What's your name?"

The boy cocked an eyebrow in puzzlement. Who is this girl and why did she need to know his name? "Uhm…Ken. Ichijouji Ken."

"Right! I'm Mimi Tachikawa, but you can call me Mi-chan," She suggested casually, causing the boy's cheeks to turn a deep shade of crimson. Evidently, she did not detect his face coloring. "C'mon, Ken-kun! First period is Trigonometry, and we're in the same class!"

'Same…class?' The boy moaned inwardly as he let the wacky girl tow him out of the office.

***

'I can't believe I skipped a grade and still find Trigonometry easy…mou,' A boy with silky dark hair mused as he flipped his notebook shut, disregarding the curious stares students were giving him.

"He's cute! Is he new?"

"Waa...I heard he just transferred from Tomachi!"

"Soukka? He must be smart-!"

Ken quickly shoved the rest of his textbooks into his bag and hurried out of the classroom, unable to hear the desperate calls from a certain brown-haired girl. 'How come I'm always the center of attention? Why won't they just leave me alone…!' Bitter thoughts flooded in his brain, tears threatening to spill. He angrily wiped them away and found himself in front of the school library. His lavender eyes softened, the irritated expression faded.

'This...this will be my sanctuary.'

***

"Uugh…where is he?" Mimi poked her head through different classrooms, frenziedly trying to locate the new student. She witnessed him running out of Trig class, and struggled to catch up with him; but he was too fast.

Where on earth could he be?

She clenched her fists, determined to find the missing boy. Climbing up the stairs onto the third floor, she peered down the hallway and saw the library doors. 'What if…?'

Mimi found him seated in a dark corner of the library, reading a bulky volume on airplane models.

"Yo! I've been looking all over for you!" she exclaimed tensely, while brushing dust off her grey uniform skirt.

"…leave me alone." He muttered, not looking up from his book.

Mimi placed her hands on her hips, shooting a fiery glare at him. "I was worried about you! I can't just leave you alone! Don't you understand? I'm the one that has to make sure you get to all your classes. I was chosen to show you around!" She justified heatedly.

Ken exhaled tiredly, rubbing his sore temples. "Look, Tachikawa-san-"

"Mi-chan," she cut in.

"Whatever," The boy rolled his narrowed eyes. "Don't worry about me. I like to be alone, and I know how to get to all of my classes by myself. So stop troubling yourself and let me be."

The pictures in his book began to blur, and he hastily blinked the tears away. It wasn't true. He hated to be alone. But there was an explanation behind all this…

"Is it a crime to make friends with you?" Her voice wobbled, a crestfallen look gracing her smooth features.

Ken did not answer, and a broken strand of indigo hair floated onto the page of his book.

"Is it?" Her voice cracked, but her question was demanding.

He softly blew out a breath and stared at Mimi's sad face with his evenly gloomy eyes. "Yes…it is indeed a crime."

Her gaze lingered on him for another few seconds before she sprinted out of the library, not knowing what to feel. The boy stared after her and whispered,

"…but it's for the best."

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end act 001.

-TBC?


End file.
